Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1548 - Canada, China, and the Risky Pivot Away from Our Closest Ally

Brian Crombie is joined by Charles Burton, one of Canada’s most experienced China analysts and Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Burton draws on decades studying China–Canada relations — including time as a diplomat in Beijing — to offer a clear-eyed look at Canada’s shifting foreign policy and the risks embedded in its evolving ties with Beijing. We dive into Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent visit to China, where a new strategic partnership was announced, including lowered tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and commitments on energy, agri-food and investment — a move that comes as Canada aims to diversify beyond reliance on the United States. As Canada’s exports to China remain a small fraction of its total compared with U.S. trade, Burton and Brian ask a hard question:Does closer alignment with China strengthen Canada — or expose it to greater economic, security, and moral risk? In this discussion, they explore:• Why China can be an unreliable trading partner and how economic coercion works• The risks of Chinese investment in critical infrastructure, technology and EV sectors• Data security, surveillance, and national-security vulnerabilities• How U.S. policy toward China affects Canada inevitably• Taiwan, Venezuela, and the broader global power struggle• Whether Canada is drifting away from a rules-based international order• Why partners like Japan, South Korea, and Northern Europe may be safer long-term allies This is not about ideology — it’s about realism in an increasingly transactional world, and what it means to protect Canadian sovereignty amidst great-power rivalry.